


When Sparks Fly Free

by faeriefirefly



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, Fireworks, Getting Together, M/M, Matsuri - Freeform, Summer of mutual pining, no beta - we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 16:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faeriefirefly/pseuds/faeriefirefly
Summary: Written for the 18+!!! on ICE Server Discord 2019 Lazy Summer of Mutual Pining event.Prompt:  Most vivid among the memories of his hometownYuuri shares one of his favorite summer traditions with Viktor, a local festival complete with fireworks. Everything is going right until it isn't, and Yuuri doesn't even know what happened. Can he figure out what went wrong and fix it before it's too late?





	When Sparks Fly Free

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to my fic soulmate [Dedica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dedica/pseuds/Dedica) as usual! And thanks to all my writer/reader friends on the [18+!!! on ICE](https://discordapp.com/invite/jRXfSXc) discord server!
> 
> My first random prompt event! Though I must admit, I clicked the prompt generator 6549879 times before I got a couple of potentially fluffy prompts I was happy with. The first two were: _The fire was getting closer _ and _"Do you think he crashed the car on purpose?"_, neither of which are really my aesthetic! But who knows, maybe I'll use them someday...

Most vivid among the memories of Yuuri’s hometown were the summer matsuri, celebrations of tanabata and obon, or small local affairs, Hasetsu and the neighboring towns having come up with an excuse at some point in the past for festivities and fireworks. This matsuri lived up to those memories, made even better by sharing the experience with Viktor. Yuuri was in his favorite blue yukata, geta abandoned for straw sandals, which were arguably more comfortable on his bruised and battered feet. Viktor was similarly dressed, having borrowed a spare yukata of Yuuri’s despite it being a bit short, with the addition of a pretty purple kanzashi Mari had jokingly clipped into his silver fringe—Viktor had rather liked the effect and wore it out, to Mari’s delighted cackle. They walked along the streets, crowded with vendors and people, almost like Hasetsu was booming again.

Viktor let Yuuri break his diet, though he made sure to split each dish instead of ordering two of everything: crispy takoyaki, savory karage, chewy ikayaki, dango drizzled with sweetened soy sauce. Everything was on a stick, of course, as it was festival food, and Viktor even let Yuuri have straight sugar, fluffy strands of cotton candy melting on his fingers as much as his tongue as he pulled it from its Pokémon-printed plastic bag. They walked around sharing bites like a couple, Viktor exclaiming, “Vkusno!” at each new flavor.

Yuuri wished they really were a couple. Sure, they were close, and had even kissed a few times, Yuuri blushingly bussing Viktor’s cheek one afternoon on a walk home from the beach, Viktor kissing him hard on the mouth at the rink after a particularly steamy Eros run through, but they were still in that liminal space between not-quite-friends and not-quite-boyfriends. Yuuri was afraid to define it, afraid to crush whatever was building between them, afraid of it being just a casual fling for Viktor.

So they walked side by side, shoulders brushing but not holding hands like Yuuri longed to do, even if he might not dare to do so in public if they were a couple, taking in the sights and sounds and smells. Yuuri laughed as Viktor tried his hand at goldfish scooping, secretly glad he kept losing since he had no idea how Viktor would keep one alive if he won. He fared slightly better at the yo-yo pool, finally snagging a colorful balloon on his hook, squealing in delight and beaming his heart-shaped smile at Yuuri as he fished it out and slipped it on his finger. His delight was short-lived when a particularly hard smack broke the string and sent the balloon to the ground to burst. Viktor pouted like a child until Yuuri went back to fish out a new one, telling him to “Be careful with this one, Viktor!”

As they watched the taiko drummers and traditional dancers, Yuuri watching Viktor’s enthralled face more than the performances, eyes somehow managing to skitter away before he was caught, the sky slowly darkened. When it was finally dark enough for the paper lanterns to light the streets with their soft glow, they made their way to the beach to find a good spot to watch the fireworks. They stopped to chat with the Nishigoris for a moment but declined sharing their blanket, despite the triplets’ begging, moving on to find the Katsukis and Minako, who’d laid out their own blanket in a prime spot farther down the beach. Viktor and Yuuri sat in the back, Viktor practicing his slowly but steadily improving Japanese with Yuuri’s family until the show started and the first fireworks painted the sky.

Yuuri oohed and aahed with the rest of them, staring up at the sparkling flowers blooming above, but he was soon drawn to Viktor again. He watched his happy face, pointed heavenward and washed in muted color, and didn’t avert his gaze in time. Blue eyes met brown and Viktor smiled, soft and sweet, and took Yuuri’s hand under the cover of darkness. Yuuri felt his cheeks flame but a quick glance around told him no one was watching them, the crowds’ attention on the sky above. They leaned closer and looked up together, stealing glances at each other as Viktor played with Yuuri’s fingers.

A particularly loud boom surprised Yuuri, who jolted with a squeak. Viktor laughed, gaze trained on Yuuri, taking the opportunity to put his arm around Yuuri and draw him in close. All pretense of watching the fireworks was gone now, as Yuuri stared up into Viktor’s eyes, lost in the gleaming depths. His heart beat wildly in his chest, breath speeding up to soft pants. He felt Viktor’s do the same, little puffs of air against his lips, so very close now.

Viktor closed the scant space between them, pressing his lips to Yuuri’s, and fresh fireworks exploded behind Yuuri’s eyelids, sparks running through his veins as his lips parted under Viktor’s for the first time. His tongue swept into Yuuri’s mouth, sweet like the last bite of cotton candy he’d stolen from Yuuri’s fingertips. Viktor’s hand rose to cup Yuuri’s cheek, the arm still around his shoulders drawing him closer as he deepened the kiss, tongue tangling with his own and drawing a low whimper from Yuuri’s throat. Yuuri was lost in the feel of Viktor’s mouth moving expertly against his, clutching the front of Viktor’s borrowed yukata with both hands.

Another resounding boom startled Yuuri into opening his eyes and the spell was suddenly broken. Now Yuuri could see his family out of the corner of his eye, sitting right in front of them, and feel the crowd pressing in around them. He broke the kiss with a gasp, the hands on Viktor’s chest pushing him away abruptly. Silver eyelashes fluttered open in shock, a frown of confusion turning down the corners of plumped lips, still slick from their kiss.

“Yuuri, what did I—” 

Yuuri shushed him, cutting him off as he looked pointedly at the backs of his family before resolutely looking up at the sky. Peripherally, he saw Viktor open his mouth, then shut it and nod before he took Yuuri’s cue and settled back down to watch the show. But when Viktor’s hand inched back over to take Yuuri’s, Yuuri drew away, scooching a little closer to the edge of the blanket. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t risk getting lost in Viktor again, not in public.

They watched the rest of the show in silence. It was pretty, if not as magical as before, but they clapped politely with the rest of the crowd when it ended. Mari waved them away when Yuuri offered to help pack up the blanket, saying, “It’s Viktor’s first matsuri! Let him enjoy it,” and shooing them back to the festival.

But Viktor didn’t seem to be enjoying himself anymore. He was subdued as they walked back toward the crowded streets. Yuuri’s thoughts turned anxious as he glanced over at Viktor time and again. He didn’t have much experience but he didn’t think the kiss was bad. It was the best kiss he’d ever had, anyway. And Viktor had seemed to understand that Yuuri didn’t want to continue in public. Maybe he _was_ a bad kisser, or maybe Viktor had just realized they were better off as friends, the thought of which made his stomach sink heavily. Yuuri was so stuck in his own head, he almost missed Viktor turning away from the festival. He doubled back a few steps and caught up to walk alongside Viktor, headed toward the onsen.

Viktor looked over, that plastic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes on his lips. “You don’t have to come with me, Yuuri. Stay, enjoy the festival.”

“That’s— That’s ok. I’m ready to head home too.”

Viktor smiled at him again, brittle, but said no more. They walked down the dark streets in a stilted silence. The awkwardness was only slightly alleviated when they reached the onsen and were greeted by a happy Makkachin. Yuuri hovered while Viktor let her sniff around the courtyard and do her business, then followed them both inside, down the hall to the family quarters and up the stairs. The mood was almost oppressive but Yuuri didn’t know what to say, what to do to make it better.

Viktor opened the door to the banquet room, letting Makkachin in to hop up on the bed and settle down with a loud yawn. Yuuri brushed by behind him, eyes filling with tears as he resolved himself to a sleepless night worrying over what went wrong and what that meant for their relationship, be it coach and skater, friends, or something more romantic. As they parted in the hall, Viktor paused in his doorway, half-turning to Yuuri. “I know you said you just want me to be myself, Yuuri, but what if the self I want to be is yours? For however long you’ll have me?”

Yuuri stared, eyes wide and glassy, at the seldom-seen vulnerability on Viktor’s face, scrambling to put his racing thoughts in order and feelings into words. But he waited a moment too long. Before he could think of an answer, Viktor sighed and followed Makkachin into his room, sliding the door shut behind him. Yuuri stood frozen in the hallway a few moments more before his body acted without conscious thought. The door to the banquet room slid back open, so hard it rattled in its frame, and Viktor, halfway out of his yukata by the bed, turned to look at Yuuri with eyebrows raised in surprise. 

“Viktor, that’s what I want too.” The words tumbled out of his mouth and he held his breath, waiting for a response.

The surprise on Viktor’s face gave way to a smile, a real one this time, that grew into a wide heart shape. Viktor launched himself at Yuuri, tripping over his untied yukata in his haste, and Yuuri rushed to catch him before he hurt himself. They overbalanced and fell anyway, narrowly missing the low table in the middle of the room but thankfully cushioned by the fluffy rug beneath it. Yuuri struggled to breathe, the wind knocked out of him by the impact of the floor and Viktor landing on top of him, but was laughing all the same.

Viktor, giggling madly, peeled himself off Yuuri and the floor, and extended his hand, drawing Yuuri up and straight into a hug. Viktor squeezed him tight, making a happy little noise when Yuuri put his arms around Viktor’s waist and returned the hug. “I’ve been waiting so long. Yuuri, but I didn’t want to push, and tonight, I thought I screwed everything up, that you didn’t really want me to kiss you, or—”

Yuuri’s head snapped up, almost clocking Viktor in the chin, and he interrupted with a kiss. His lips lingered just a moment, breaking away with a smile at the awed look on Viktor’s face. “I’ve wanted you to kiss me, really kiss me, for forever, but we were in public and my family was right there!” He paused, biting his lip and casting his eyes away with a blush before looking up at Viktor from under his lashes, and admitted, “And I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

A soft little “Oh,” escaped Viktor as he tightened his arms around Yuuri again.

Yuuri giggled. “Oh,” he echoed, before asking, “Is that— Did you really mean that? That you want to be mine?”

Viktor tilted his face up to look into his eyes. Yuuri’s widened, awed by the softness of Viktor’s, by the look on his face, open and vulnerable once again. “For however long you’ll have me,” he repeated.

“Forever then,” Yuuri said, blushing up to his ears once he realized it had come out of his mouth with no filter, but Viktor didn’t seem to mind.

Viktor, in fact, seemed overjoyed, making another soft sound of happiness and crushing Yuuri to his chest. He pulled back reluctantly, smiling down at Yuuri, and brought a hand up to cup Yuuri’s cheek, stroke his hair, before bending down for another soft kiss. “Stay here, with me tonight?” he murmured against Yuuri’s lips.

Yuuri smiled, lips still pressed against Viktor’s, and nodded. He drew away, ignoring Viktor’s noise of protest, which stopped as soon as Yuuri reached up to slip the yukata from the shoulder it wasn’t already hanging off of, leaving Viktor in his usual little black underwear. Cheeks burning, he turned to drape it over the sofa and untied his own obi, hearing Viktor settle on the bed behind him as he stripped down to his boxer briefs. He turned to see Viktor watching him in wide-eyed reverence, then came closer and slipped between the sheets, setting his glasses on the nightstand.

Viktor crawled up the bed, wiggling in between Yuuri and Makkachin and sliding under the sheet himself. They shared more kisses, a few fleeting touches, but it had been a long day, with early practice, followed by the festival, followed by the rollercoaster of emotions that had drained Yuuri no matter how glad he was for the end result. After one last lingering kiss, Viktor pulled Yuuri to his chest, hugging him like a teddy bear, and Yuuri soon heard the other man’s breathing even out, soft snores falling from his mouth as little puffs of air tickled the hair atop Yuuri’s head.

Even now, nose pressed into Viktor’s collarbone with the other man’s long limbs clinging to him like an octopus as he drifted deeper into sleep, Yuuri couldn’t quite believe this was real. Viktor wanted him. Yuuri hoped Viktor really was ready to be his forever, because now that he’d had a true taste of him, he wasn’t letting go. He snaked his arms under Viktor’s, hugging him back and tangling their legs together, and slipped into sleep smiling against Viktor’ skin.


End file.
